AN historic mill near Huddersfield town centre will be converted into offices, creating more than 150 jobs.

Councillors voted yesterday to spend £400,000 regenerating Folly Hall Mill.

The St Thomas Road development will create 35,000 sq ft of offices and a café, generating up to 155 jobs. Work on converting the Grade II listed main mill and boiler house will start next month and should be completed by December.

The first phase of the Folly Hall scheme, to refurbish and convert the four-storey warehouse building into offices, is nearly finished and the space is already fully let.

Kirklees Council’s Cabinet approved the investment yesterday .

Regeneration chief Clr Ken Sims welcomed the new money.

He said: “Folly Hall Mill is one of the area’s most historic and imposing buildings. The main six-storey mill building dates back to 1844 and is of significant historic importance.

“The buildings have stood empty for more than 20 years and are badly in need of restoration before their condition worsens. The main mill is one of five structures in Kirklees on English Heritage’s buildings at risk register because of its poor condition.

“Given the current economic climate it is heartening that a local development company which now owns the properties – Dewsbury-based Bradbury Investments Ltd – is confident of bringing these buildings back into use, with the potential of providing more than 150 new jobs.

“The development will provide badly-need top-grade office accommodation.”

Swedish bank Svenska Handelsbanken is backing the regeneration, and Kirklees hopes English Heritage and Yorkshire Forward will also add their support. Clr Sims hopes the Folly Hall development will enhance wider development plans.

Kirklees College won planning permission last year to build a new campus on a triangle of land between Manchester Road, Chapel Hill and the River Colne. The Waterfront Quarter plan, which also includes three blocks of flats and four offices buildings, will create 2,000 new jobs.

Clr Sims said: “Folly Hall is an extremely prominent former mill complex. The proposed scheme will improve the appearance of what is an important gateway to the town, and also complement the wider programme for the Waterfront Quarter and other proposed developments in this part of the town.”